


Commutation: Caffrey, Browning, Barret Browning, Byron, Millay, Dillon, and Moreau

by SusanaR



Series: Inherited Traits [3]
Category: DCU, DCU - Comicverse, White Collar
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-28
Updated: 2012-02-28
Packaged: 2017-10-31 20:54:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/348271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SusanaR/pseuds/SusanaR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Parental speculation about Neal's commutation hearing, in an AU where Neal Caffrey is the son of Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne. Or, sometimes, Neal is just a romantic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I just saw Episode 15 of Season 3, "Stealing Home," today, and had to write my own speculation as to what the codes in those letters pertain to. From the scenes from next week's episode and the general deftness with which the show has woven the theme of Neal being torn between returning to his life as a great conman and continuing in his new life as an FBI consultant, I don't think that its anything quite so innocent as I've portrayed in this story. I don't mean to whitewash Neal - a lot of what makes him compelling as a character is that he is constantly at war with his own moral ambiguities. But I do think that sometimes it is possible that Neal gets misjudged. Maybe sometimes, he's just a romantic. He did escape from prison just to talk to Kate, after all. 
> 
> This story may also be unfair to Kate Moreau in general. It is certainly inaccurate with respect to canon (as all of my stories in this AU are), in that it makes Neal Caffrey younger and Kate Moreau older than they are in the show. 
> 
> As portrayed in the show, I think its somewhat unclear whether Kate was who Neal thought she was, or who others thought she was. Dying - if she really died - almost certainly gives her the benefit of the doubt. But I like Neal and constantly fight against white-washing him, so for purposes of this story, be forewarned that I've demonized Kate a little. Nothing too terrible, but I've certainly implied that she was using Neal and that she was less talented than he is.

Prologue 

Tossing her cell phone lightly onto a sofa, Selina Kyle left the large, sunny upstairs room that she had converted from a long-ago Wayne daughter's dance studio into her own office in Bruce's manor. With an irritated sigh, Selina descended into the cool darkness of the Bat Cave. She didn't dislike the cave, per se. It was too much a part of Bruce for her not to have a an abiding tolerance for it, one which morphed all the way into a poignant fondness at odd times. But the Bat Cave was still not her favorite part of the manor. Selina preferred sunlight during the day, and moonlight at night. But she often spent hours upon hours in the Bat Cave, reading or exercising or helping Bruce or his children with-whatever-it-was that he-or they- were obsessed with at the moment. At least once a week, Selina seemed to end up refereeing some disagreement, most often between Damian and Tim, or Damian and Stephanie, or Damian and someone. Sometimes even between Bruce and Dick, or Bruce and Alfred. And when Cassandra visited, sometimes between Cassandra and anyone who didn't want to spend most of the morning sparring with Cassandra. But now, Selina had a specific question to ask. 

Bruce was precisely where she had expected to find him at this hour of the day, in front of the large computers which dominated one end of the Bat Cave. Hopping up onto the desk beside him, Selina asked pointedly. "Neal's commutation hearing. They found codes in the letters he sent from prison to Kate?" 

Bruce didn't look up, or change his position even marginally. But Selina could still tell, from years of reading this man, that she had his full attention. And that he was extremely curious as to who her source within the FBI was. It happened to be Diana Barrigan, but Selina felt no impetus whatsoever to share that with Bruce. Particular since he seemed to be already aware of this development, presumably from his own FBI connections, and he obviously hadn't felt the need to inform Selina of it. 

After a few moments, Bruce nodded almost imperceptibly towards a file on the desk. Selina picked it up gingerly, and pulled out the first letter which Neal had sent to Kate. Tapping one finger to her cheek, she sighed and appealed, "I could figure it out, but it would take some time. Care to share?"


	2. Browning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Encoded in the letter: 
> 
> "Life In A Love" by Robert Browning
> 
> "Escape me?  
> Never—  
> Beloved!  
> While I am I, and you are you,  
> So long as the world contains us both,  
> Me the loving and you the loth,  
> While the one eludes, must the other pursue.  
> My life is a fault at last, I fear—  
> It seems too much like a fate, indeed!  
> Though I do my best I shall scarce succeed—  
> But what if I fail of my purpose here?
> 
> It is but to keep the nerves at strain,  
> To dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall,  
> And baffled, get up to begin again,—  
> So the chase takes up one's life, that's all.  
> While, look but once from your farthest bound,  
> At me so deep in the dust and dark,  
> No sooner the old hope drops to ground  
> Than a new one, straight to the selfsame mark,  
> I shape me—  
> Ever  
> Removed!"

Bruce waited another few moments, as if expecting Selina to try harder to figure it out herself, as he would expect of his children or his lieutenants. Then Bruce remembered that she wasn't one of them and didn't play by all of the same rules. So he grunted non-noncommittally, and offered, "It's just Browning." 

Selina sighed, but she was accustomed to cryptic Bruce. "Browning?" She repeated, pausing to think about her son Neal, who was a romantic, before guessing, "The poet, Robert Browning?" 

Bruce didn't confirm or deny, but Selina's eyes were already scanning over the letter, catching in minutes what Kramer's team had failed to do in months. Although, to be fair, Bruce had told her exactly what to look for. "Oh, it's 'Life in a Love,'" Selina exclaimed. 

Bruce nodded, and remarked, "A bit insipid, but otherwise fairly appropriate to that less than stellar moment in Neal's life." 

Selina rolled her eyes, "You are almost the furthest possible thing from a romantic, Bruce, so it seems hypocritical of you to criticize Neal's taste in poetry. It reminds me of how sorry for your kids I've felt from time to time over the years, when I've heard - or heard of - your attempts to give romantic advice to Dick or Tim." 

Bruce didn't bother to reply to that, although Selina could tell that he was completely unapologetic. Still, for this being the time of the day during which Bruce habitually dedicated his attentions to studying recent trends in crime in the world wide press coverage, he was being remarkably communicative. For Bruce. Well, for a Bruce who hadn't come looking for her to help him pin down underlying theme he suspected was developing, but couldn't quite put his finger on.


	3. Barrett Browning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Encoded in Kate's first reply letter: 
> 
> "The Lady's Yes," by Elizabeth Barrett Browning 
> 
> " Yes !" I answered you last night ;  
>  " No !" this morning, Sir, I say !  
> Colours, seen by candle-light,  
>  Will not look the same by day.
> 
> When the tabors played their best,  
>  Lamps above, and laughs below —  
> Love me sounded like a jest,  
>  Fit for Yes or fit for No !
> 
> Call me false, or call me free —  
>  Vow, whatever light may shine,  
> No man on your face shall see  
>  Any grief for change on mine.
> 
> Yet the sin is on us both —  
>  Time to dance is not to woo —  
> Wooer light makes fickle troth —  
>  Scorn of me recoils on you !
> 
> Learn to win a lady's faith  
>  Nobly, as the thing is high ;  
> Bravely, as for life and death —  
>  With a loyal gravity.
> 
> Lead her from the festive boards,  
>  Point her to the starry skies,  
> Guard her, by your truthful words,  
>  Pure from courtship's flatteries.
> 
> By your truth she shall be true —  
>  Ever true, as wives of yore —  
> And her Yes, once said to you,  
>  SHALL be Yes for evermore."

Scanning Neal's first letter more carefully, Selina noticed something which she had missed on the first reading, another code embedded in the first lines of the letter. 

"Oh, Neal." She said sadly, before picking up Kate's reply. "'The Lady's Yes,' by Elizabeth Barret Browning." Selina observed, before continuing, "An uncommonly classy selection, coming from Kate." Selina hadn't liked Kate. She normally didn't approve of speaking ill of the dead, but Selina had loathed Kate from the moment the younger brunette had entered Neal's life, and she'd disliked Kate more and more as time and again Kate drew Neal into deeper and more dangerous trouble than he'd managed to find on his own. 

Bruce raised one eyebrow skeptically, as if disagreeing that Kate could ever be that classy. "Neal fed her the line." Bruce commented dismissively, "I've watched some of the videos of their old cons. He used to do that for her all the time. Otherwise, I doubt that she could have kept up." There was a bit of underlying pride in that statement. All of Bruce's kids, biological and adopted and, of course, Barbara-by-marriage, were very smart. 

Absently, Selina agreed, "I suppose that he did...still, the choice held some wit. And poor Neal - the first coded sentences he wrote to Kate, before the Browning...did you see that, Bruce?"

Bruce looked over at her, "Yes." He said simply. 

Selina read it aloud, "At least two years, with little hope of further commutation. I'm sorry, Kate. I don't deserve it, but will you accept my pledge of love in commutation of the better life I promised you? I have failed in that. But never in loving you." 

Bruce was silent for a moment, before offering, "Most people forget that commutation doesn't just mean a reduction in a prison sentence. It can also mean the substitution of one form of payment for another." Such as love in lieu of material wealth. 

"Neal never forgets the meaning behind words." Selina noted of their son, as she began looking through the later poems. 

Smiling ever so slightly in agreement, Bruce replied, "That reminds me of the first time that I recognized Neal for more than a smooth talker and a pretty face." 

Looking up from the letters with fond amusement on her face, Selina guessed, "Was that when he chose the name 'Gray Cat' as a nom de guerre?" 

Bruce didn't smile back, but he did reply, "Yes. Because all cats are gray in the dark. And all conmen, if they're good." 

"And lucky." Selina remarked, and then took a deep breath as she felt guilt punch her in the chest. "I've always had better luck than Neal." Selina murmured. 

His blue eyes flickering to Selina as he heard the undertone of blame, Bruce - who was a world-class expert at blaming himself, often for events that he had little to no control over - replied, "Of course you had better luck, Selina. You fell in love with me, after all." 

His tone was smug, but Selina realized that Bruce wasn't trying to upset her. He was trying to help her. Since Selina felt that guilt was a completely useless and wasteful emotion, she allowed herself to be distracted. Rolling her eyes at Bruce's smug, Selina continued speed-reading through Neal's prison correspondence with Kate.


	4. Byron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Encoded in one of Neal's final letters to Kate: 
> 
> "She Walks In Beauty" by Lord Byron
> 
> "She walks in beauty, like the night  
> Of cloudless climes and starry skies;  
> And all that's best of dark and bright  
> Meet in her aspect and her eyes:  
> Thus mellowed to that tender light  
> Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
> 
> One shade the more, one ray the less,  
> Had half impaired the nameless grace  
> Which waves in every raven tress,  
> Or softly lightens o'er her face;  
> Where thoughts serenely sweet express  
> How pure, how dear their dwelling place.
> 
> And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,  
> So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,  
> The smiles that win, the tints that glow,  
> But tell of days in goodness spent,  
> A mind at peace with all below,  
> A heart whose love is innocent!"

Finding one of Neal's last letters to Kate, Selina observed with a fond smile, "Ooh. Byron. good choice." 

Disapproval clear in his tone, Bruce complained, "Burke calls Neal 'Byron,' sometimes." 

Selina didn't bother to acknowledge the disapproval, instead merely noting, "That's fitting enough, for Neal." 

"Mad, Bad and dangerous to know? A regency playboy who ended his days in ignominious self-imposed exile? Really, Selina?" Bruce's tone made it clear that he thought that Neal could do better than that, and more, that he thought Selina should expect better than that, of Neal. 

Crossing her arms, Selina replied challengingly, "Yes, Bruce, Byron. A conman and a romantic of the highest order and most impeccable style, who influenced a generation and whose poems are still widely read. A man who is still looked upon by some as a hero, for his later military exploits." 

Bruce just waited quietly, and after a moment Selina's challenging attitude dissipated, and she spoke more softly, "But I do concede your point. I'd rather that Neal have a happy life than everlasting fame." Selina paused again, before adding pensively, "But I've always loved 'She walks in Beauty.'" 

"It would be better fitting to you than Kate." Bruce replied. 

With a huff of incredulous laughter, Selina disagreed, "I'd just as soon not receive love poetry from my own son, thank you, Bruce." 

Turning away from his computer again and, to Selina's shock, actually pausing his current search, Bruce gave Selina his full attention. "Our own son, Selina." As if his next words were difficult for him, Bruce continued slowly, "I have always thought of you as walking in beauty, like the night. Your name fits you." 

It was Selina's turn to pause in shock, her heart beating faster, because Bruce was so rarely romantic. Tilting her head to the side and letting her interest and affection show in her eyes, Selina silently willed him to continue. To her surprise, Bruce took her hands in his, and said with feeling, "To me, Selina, you have always walked cloaked in your own beauty, like the best parts of the night, the peace and the joy of cloudess climes and starry skies. To me, all that is best of dark and bright has always met in your aspect and your remarkable eyes. In the dark's tender light and the bright of the day, you shine with a confident beauty that is your own, lovely and earthy and coy, but never gaudy. You are far from perfect, but even your imperfections make more appealing your nameless grace, which shows in every sultry step of your lovely form, and everu toss of your waving raven tresses. Your pureness of spirit isn't that of some pale, conventional regency rose, but I like you all the better for that. Your smile has won me in spite of myself since first I saw you, stepping off of Bunny's balcony with precious jewels in one hand and soup in the other. You have brought goodness to my life and to my world and to all of those whom I hold dear, and you are the first woman I have loved who has ever loved me for all of myself." 

Selina's eyes had grown wider and more luminous throughout Bruce's rare monologue. Her heart skipping more than just a beat, one of the world's most eloquent con-women could only manage a simple, "Wow, Bruce." In fact, the whole moment would have been completely perfect, if it hadn't occurred in the bat cave, which was not, in Selina's opinion, a place conducive to romance. And, of course, it would have been better if the subject that prompted it hadn't been how to help keep one of their sons out of jail. But Selina knew how to enjoy the moment, and so she did, leaning forward to press a tender kiss against her long-time boyfriend's lips. 

Bruce grinned back at her, an extremely rare completely open expression of joy and pleasure at having managed to say something that made Selina look at him as if he were the only man in the world. "It's nice to stun you speechless," He told her, teasing now, because Bruce was still a man who was uncomfortable sustaining moments of deep emotion, "For all the times that your ridiculous, illogical quips have necessitated extra thought on my part in order to address them in a logical manner." 

"Oh, you poor dear." Selina replied, her tone light and wry and slightly sarcastic, because she knew that Bruce wanted to lighten the mood. She'd known before she came back to him this last time, some months before he disappeared, that he was who he was. A man who showed affection mainly through actions and almost never with words. She'd chosen to love him and live with him because he made her laugh, because being with him was both more challenging and more fulfilling and more fun than anything else she'd ever done. So Selina mostly didn't mind that Bruce wasn't the romantic type, but this...this rare show of gallant, sincere love. This had been an unexpected gift, a complete and total joy to her heart. It made her think that perhaps Neal did get some of his romanticism and eloquence from Bruce, after all. But Bruce wouldn't appreciate that comparison now, and he'd already reached outside of himself rather a lot that afternoon, so Selina kept that notion to herself. Although she was fairly certain that Bruce had probably picked up on her thoughts anyway. He was a hard man to hide anything from. Fortunately, Selina loved a challenge.


	5. St. Vincent Millay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Encoded in Kate's last letter to Neal: 
> 
> Sonnets 04: "Only Until This Cigarette Is Ended," by Edna St. Vincent Millay
> 
> "Only until this cigarette is ended,  
> A little moment at the end of all,  
> While on the floor the quiet ashes fall,  
> And in the firelight to a lance extended,  
> Bizarrely with the jazzing music blended,  
> The broken shadow dances on the wall,  
> I will permit my memory to recall  
> The vision of you, by all my dreams attended.  
> And then adieu,—farewell!—the dream is done.  
> Yours is a face of which I can forget  
> The color and the features, every one,  
> The words not ever, and the smiles not yet;  
> But in your day this moment is the sun  
> Upon a hill, after the sun has set."

Flipping through some more of the poems, and noting that Neal's choices were consistently romantic and sweet and funny and inspired, whereas Kate's were increasingly less so, Selina suppressed a growl of her own, and stomped firmly on her desire to be petty and acidic. Taking a deep breath, Selina managed to comment with only a small bit of resentment, "Kate was a serious bit of ill luck, for Neal." 

Bruce had turned back to his computers, but Selina could tell by the tilt of his head that he agreed. To her surprise, he spoke up again, "Physically, Kate resembles both you and Martina Prazka. All of Neal's old girlfriends do, except Alex Hunter, who resembles Analiese Laurent." Bruce left it unspoken that Neal had unresolved mother issues - and father issues, too, for all of that. Selina was just as aware of that as Bruce was. And Neal wasn't really alone, in that, amongst his family. Cassie, Damian, and, for that matter, Jason, and even sometimes Tim, were no better. Instead, Bruce just added, "All of Neal's girlfriends resembled one of his mother figures, until Sara Ellis." 

" I like Sara." Selina replied. 

Bruce grunted cynically, "You would." 

Selina raised an eyebrow and reached one finger down to minimize Bruce's search. "You like her too. She reminds you of Barbara. You adore Barabara." Selina pointed out. 

Bruce sighed, before reaching out to wipe a smudge of ink from Selina's chin. "You're getting me confused with Dick." He chided, before returning his attention to the computer. 

Selina just sat beside him ,calmly waiting, as still and as patient as moonlight on water. 

After a minute or so, Bruce sighed and admitted, "Yes, I like Sara too. Despite the age difference between her and Neal." 

Selina shrugged, "Less of an age difference than with Kate. Cradle -robber." Coming upon Kate's last missive to Neal before she broke off their relationship and inspired Selina's son to stage a monumentally stupid prison escape, Selina could not suppress a hiss of anger. "That...witch. Sending him "Only Until this Cigarette is Ended," in response to Lord Byron's 'She walks in Beauty.'" Selina tried to gain control of her temper, and to not speak ill of the dead. After a moment or two, Selina managed, "Its a well-written sonnet, one of St. Vincent Millay's most evocative, in my opinion. But it,is a bitter missive to send to a man who went to prison for her, and loved her still." 

Bruce was quiet, but Selina could tell that he agreed, and that he shared her own dislike of Kate. So Selina continued, "Kate was no Edna St. Vincent Millay." Unspoken, that Edna St. Vincent Millay had been one of the foremost poets of the twentieth century, a woman who broke down barriers. Selina respected St. Vincent Millay for having been not just a humanist but also a woman who had loved deeply. St. Vincent Millay had been a supporter of democracy and a voice for the innocent dead of the Great War, even though it had cost her much of her hard-won reputation. Edna St. Vincent Millay was one of a kind, a woman worthy of admiration. And, in Selina's opinion, Kate Moreau had been nothing more than a hack. Kate's work, before she'd hooked up with Neal, had been marginal and unoriginal. Worse, in Selina's eyes, was that Kate had valued Neal more for what she could get for him, than for who he was and how much he loved her. 

And all of Neal's friends had seen that. In fact, no one who loved Neal had liked Kate. Not even Mozzie, not really. But when Neal was in love...he wouldn't listen to what anyone said. Only Mozzie had been smart enough to play along. Unspoken, that Selina wished she'd been as clever about that as Mozzie, because if she had, Neal might have never gotten mixed up in fixing Kate's mistake in getting them both into the bond forgery gambit. Selina could have stopped that, could have sent Neal somewhere else and taken care of Kate herself. Selina knew how to send off fortune hunters...she'd done so multiple times, not just for Neal, but also on behalf of Dick, Tim, and Cassie. 

Bruce quietly agreed, "And Neal is not George Dillon." Unspoken, that Neal was much more talented. That the work he'd done for the FBI and the JLA would mean something, after he died. Even if Neal never painted again, which both of his parents hoped that he would. Neal's charcoal sketches, "Scenes of Martina's Country," hung in Bruce's office at Wayne Enterprises, along with circus posters of the Flying Graysons, an architectural study that Tim had done on Wayne Tower, and a hanging set of winged origami creatures made by Cassandra. At this point, Damian's contribution to the wal was a parody of a leering clown. Bruce was quite certain his youngest son had come up with for the sole purpose of annoying Bruce. In time, Bruce had hopes that Damian would replace that offering with something more appropriate, but Bruce wasn't willing to blink at Damian's scare tactics. He'd just smiled and declared the monstrous clown to be every bit as good as Damian's siblings' contributions. 

Bruce's lips quirked again into a wry, cynical grin, as he added, "Although the age difference between St. Vincent Millay and George Dillon is just about right, for Neal and Kate." 

Selina managed a small laugh, before broaching a more serious subject. "So...are you going to tell Agent Kramer that he has his elite team of code-breakers working hard to crack an exchange of love poems?" 

Bruce's lips twitched into a faint smile again. "No. Let them figure it out for themselves. Or not, given the level of competence which they have here-to-fore displayed."

With a Cheshire cat grin, because Selina had decided to be amused by the battles of will between Bruce and any of his children, including Neal, she asked, "And are you going to tell Neal that the big reveal that Peter and his friends at the FBI are all worried about, is just those codes?" 

With a half-smile, Bruce answered, "No. Neal deserves to sweat a little. Besides, for all I know, the poems may actually correspond to deals that he and Moreau were running, at least in part." 

Selina nodded thoughtfully, "They might, at that. Neal is certainly clever and subtle and whimsical enough to do something like that, and Kate was fairly good at following Neal's lead." 

Gruffly, Bruce stated, "It doesn't matter, really. Not if it occurred in the past." 

Selina's eyes widened, because while that had frequently been her attitude towards the mistakes of others, it was a relatively new perspective, coming from Bruce. 

Turning to give Selina his full attention again, with the seriousness and regard of one parent speaking to another about the troubles of their child, Bruce softly reassured her, "Don't worry too much, Selina. Tim, Barbara, and I have all failed to find anything hidden in the code or the letters beyond the poetry. I can't see any way that Kramer and his rank-and-file will ever decipher anything beyond the poems, if they even get that far." 

Selina hid a sigh of relief, replying aloud, "Kramer lacks the...je ne sais quoi, for that level of investigative skill. He's no Peter Burke." 

Bruce's lips twitched into a reluctant smile again, as he agreed, "No. He isn't. Kramer doesn't love his work; he just loves being able to have power over the lives of others he deems less worthy than himself. And Kramer doesn't attract brilliance the way Burke does, because he lacks that creative spark." 

Selina smiled back, before maternal concern prompted her to ask, "But could the Board's not knowing the code, but knowing that there the letters did contain a code, hurt Neal's chances?"

Shaking his head, Bruce gruffly replied, "Selina, the kid's not even sure that he wants the commutation. Not really. And if it does look like that uncertainty will hurt his chances, Tim and Dick will be at the hearing. They know about the poetry; they can reveal that if they think that its what Neal wants, or what is best for him." 

Leaning back with a crooked smile, Selina commented, "Which they will. Because you want that anklet off." 

Shaking his head again, Bruce explained, "I've left it up to them." 

Confused, and not sure whether or not she approved, Selina inquired, "You intend for them to be their brother's keeper?"

"Not ideally," Bruce replied, "My preference - and my expectation - is for Neal to be his own keeper. But someone rather perceptive once told me that I need to trust my children to look after one another, because there will come a time, even in the natural order of things, when they will have no choice but to do so because I will be gone. And if the bonds between them do not hold, if they don't continue to do their best for one another, then I as a parent will have failed them." 

Selina reached out a hand to squeeze one of Bruce's, "It would mean that we would have failed, Bruce. But I don't think that we will." 

Squeezing her hand back, Bruce said gruffly, "Thank you for helping to hold them together, when I was gone." 

Selina shook her head, "That was mostly Dick, and Alfred. And Tim, Cassie, and Damian too, for all reaching beyond how much they thought that they could trust one another. And I think, in the future, that Neal will come through when he has to, as well." 

"I'd be surprised if he didn't." Bruce replied quietly, before turning back to his computers. Selina could see a faint smile curve Bruce's lips again, as he said even more softly, "After all, Neal's mother always has. Every time that it really mattered, at least."


End file.
